Sounding device



Jam.v '7; 1930. F. l. LAUTER 1,742,267 I soUNDING DEVICE Filed may 25, 1928 35 y 3 ze u iNvENToR l jfredl Laufe? 'l MEATTRNEY l Patented Jan. 7, 1.930

N N UNITED STA FREI) I. LAUTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' SOUNDING- DEVICE Y Application filed May 23,

This invention relates to a sounding de vice, and particularly to one which is adapted for producingarticulated sound, such as the word ina-nia or the like, the device being intended essentially for use in dolls and similar to s.

rlhe present device is in the nature of an improvement upon the structure shown and described in the co-peiiding application Serial No. 279,902 filed concurrently herewith.

An object of the present invention is to improve and simplify the general arrangement of the essential elements constituting the device, to the end that the device may be more easily and cheaply manufactured and will at the same time be more practical and eilicient in its construction and operation.

` More specifically, the present improvement contemplates the complete removal of the entire sound controllingmechanism to one side of the bellows, the purpose being primarily to admit of the use of a longer bellows within a given length of casing, it being possible by the present improvement to extend the bellows throughout practically the entire length of the casing.

A further specific Objectis to provide means whereby the reed employed may be positioned and connected at one side of the bellows instead of at one end of the bellows as heretofore.

A further object is to so design the bellows, the reed and its associated parts and control mechanism that all maybe contained within a simple cylindrical casing.

`A further specific object is to provide a casing having a partition therein dividing its interior into two compartments extending longitudinally of the casingone for containing" the bellows and the other' for containing the sound control mechanism.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in thecourse of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of prin ciples constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be -ind-icated in the appended claims.

1928. Serial No. 279,903.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown'merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through a sounding device `constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 `is a similar sectional view taken substantially upon the. plane of line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line III-III of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but show'- ing the device as it appears in its reverse or normal condition.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates an enclosing casing or housing within which the operative mechanism is contained. This housing may be of any appropriate shape or construction and may be of either sheet metal, cardboard, or other material. lt is preferably, though not necessarily, of cylindrical form including an annular side wall as l, and opposite end Vwalls as 2 and 3fr The wall 2 may be perforated as at 4; while the wall 3 may be perforated as at 5 in order that sound may readily penetrate outwardly from within the housing. l

Within this housing, and extending longitudinally thereof, is a fixed partition 6, `said partition being thus arranged to provide a relatively large compartment as 7 extending longitudinally of the housing at one side of the partition and a relatively'smaller compartment as 8 extending longitudinally of the housing at the opposite side of the partition.

The compartment 7 'is adapted to contain a bellows as G which is made up of a relatively fixed head as 9, a gravity movable head as 10, and a flexible tubular bellowsclotli as 11 cone iiecting said heads together, each of the heads, and hence the entire bellows, is of general annular form but Hattened at one side as at l2 so that t-he bellows conforms to the cross sectional contour ofthe compartment 7 as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

The partition 6 and the side walls of the housing thus provide an efficient guide-way along which the movable head is free to travel between its opposite extremes, it being understood of course that in one position of the device the movable head 10 will hold the bellows collapsed While in the reverse position of the device the movable head will fall by gravity and distend the bellows as in Fig. 1.

The opposite heads 9 and 10 of the bellows may take any appropriate form but as illustrated the head 9 is provided by simply depressing a portion as 13 of the top wall 2 of the housing, thus providing a relatively laterally disposed flange or shoulder as 14 about which the bellows cloth is connected. The connection ma be effected in any approved manner, that sliown including a split ring as 15 in conformity with the suggestion more fully set forth and claimed in the co-pending application referred to.

The flange 14 is shaped to provide a groove as 16 to receive the bellows cloth and the retaining ring.

The opposite end of the bellows cloth may likewise be fixed to the movable head or weight 10 by any approved method, but is preferably shown' herein as employing` the same split ring 15 as just referred to.

The flat side wall 12 of the bellows cloth lies in close proximity to, and substantially parallel with, the partition 6, and this wall is formed with an opening as 17 therethrough at a point closely adjacent the under surface of the stationary bellows head.

Through this opening 17 extends a short tube or eyelet as 18 which also extends through registering openings in the partition 6 and in the wall of the sound box 19, the eyelet being hollow and having its opposite end portions flanged over as at Q0 and :21 for thereby binding firmly together the bellows cloth. the partition and the sound box, while at the saine time providing free communication for the passage of air back and forth between the bellows and the interior of the sound box.

The sound box 19 may be of any construction but as indicated is formed separately from the remainder of the mechanism and is held in position by means of the eyelet 18. Additional retaining devices as 22 and Q3 may be employed if desired.

The interior of the sound box constitutes a sound chamber as 24 and contains a reed or the like as25 which is in direct communication with the interior of the bellows by way of the cyelet 18, the supporting part as 26 of the reed being hollow and being fixed in continuation of the hollow of the eyelet sothat air in passing to and from the bellows must necessarily flow through the reed.

Whenever the air moves in one direction it will sound the reed, the sound of course being produced Within the sound chamber 24 and being thereby modulated as and for reasons now Well known in this art.

A sound emitting opening as 27 is provided through the upper wall of the sound. box, and said opening is controlled by a movable closure :28, the latter being pivotally connected at one end as at 29 and having at its free end an extension part as 3() which projects downwardly across one end Vof the sound box and is shaped at its lower end to provide a cam plate as 31 adapted to be engaged by different elements of a sound control mechanism H which is of the general construction substantially as described and claimed in the co-pen ding application referred to.

This sound control mechanism performs its function by controlling the position of the closure member according to a pre-arranged schedule. ln pronouncing the word ina-ina for instance it accomplishes this by first opening the closure for a short period sufficient to permit of the emission of a short sound of the reed correspolnling' with the syllable ma, then by permitting the closure to close by gravity for a momentary period sufhcient to mark the separation between the first and second syllables of the word, and finally by again opening the closure and holding it open for the prolonged sounding of the second syllable of the Word.

This operation of the control mechanism is gravity actuated but without mechanical connection with the gravity movable bellows head. It occurs during the period while the bellows head is moving however but its phases have no precise relation or mechanical association with the position of the movable bellows head. The first syllable will be sounded during the early stages of movement of the bellows head and the second during the latter stages. Preferably the second syllable will be of longer duration than the first but this is a matter ot' proportions and desire and will depend largely upon the manner and rapidity of movement of the doll wit-hin which the entire mechanism is mounted.

The control mechanism H illustrated consists of two discs as 32 and 33 mounted to oscillate freely upon a common pivot as 34 the latter being rigidly connected with the partition 6 and extending transversely of the compartment 8. These di ses are weighted so that they will swing by gravity about their pivot as the doll is moved from one position to another.

The disc 32 has a radially projecting finger as 35 which is positioned for wiping along the under surface of the cam plate 31 for opening the closure 28.

It also has opposite shoulders as 36 and 37 for engaging stationary rubber covered stops as 38 and 39 to limit its rotary movement in opposite directions.

It further also carries a stud as 40 project.. ing laterally thereof.

It is so weighted that when the device is in the position as in Fig. 4 it will stand norllO ` 41 which is positioned also for wiping against the under side of the cam plate 31, there being preferably provided however upon said cam plate a hump portion as 42 for engagement by this finger so that when the finger engages Y said hump portion it will quickly open the closure and so that the closure will be maintained opened by continued engagement of the finger with said hump portion, as seen in Fig. 2.

A shoulder as 43 is provided upon disc 33 for engaging a stationary rubber covered stop pin 44 to limit movement of the disc in one direction while a second shoulder as 45 is provided upon the disc for engaging said stop pin to limit movement of the disc in the opposite direction.

The disc 33 is so weighted that when the device is in the position Fig. 4 said disc will stand normally with its shoulder 45 against the stop pin, the finger 41 being at this time spaced a considerable distance from the cam plate 31.

When thedevice is reversed the disc 33 will retain its posit-ion unaltered until the stud 40 of disc 32 strikes the finger 41 and thereby gives impetus to the disc 33 sufficient to carry it over a dead centre and thuscause the disc to function by gravity for swinging the finger 41 against the cam plate 31.

The finger 41 and the co-operative hump portion 42 of the cam plate are preferably such that when the finger has engaged the hump portion the finger will rotate relatively slightly behind the hump so that there will ber no appreciable rebound movement of the disc such as would permit the sound closure chamber to fall preematurely.

The partition 6 may be held in position within the housing by any appropriate means but for the purpose of illustration said partition is here shown as having tangs as 46-46 -thereon which engage through registering openings in the side walls of the housing.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the bellows is of a length corresponding to substantially the full length of the housing while the sound controlling mechanism is disposed wholly at one side `of the bellows. An unusually long bellows is by this means accommodated within a given length of housing, with its attendant advantages particularly with regard to the duration of time of sounding the reed.

The device is of simple and practical construction and may be readily and 'cheaply manufactured with uniform efficiency.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let` 1. A sounding device of the character de-` scribed comprising a housing, a bellows ar` ranged in the housing comprising a stationary head a movable head and a bellows clothl connecting said heads, movement of the movable head being intended to move air into and out of the bellows, a reed to be sounded by the moving air, and means providing communication of said reed with theinterior of the bellows through the bellows cloth ata point intermediate the bellows heads;

25A sounding device of the character described comprising a housing, a bellows arranged in the housing comprising a stationary head a movable head and a bellows cloth connecting said heads, movement of the movablewhead being intended tomovev air' into and out df the bellows, a reed to be sounded by the moving air, the bellows cloth having an opening therethrough at a point intermediate the bellows heads, and means provid` ing communication between the reed and the interior of the bellows through said opening.`

3. A sounding device of the character described comprising a housing, a bellows arranged in the housing comprising a stationary head a movable head and a bellows cloth connecting said heads, movement of the movable head being intended 'to move air into and out of the bellows, a reed to be sounded by the moving air, means also within thecasing to control the sounding of the reed, a parti? tion member within the housing extending in the general direction of movement of the movable. bellows head, the sound control means being at one side of said partition member and the bellows atthe other, and' there being means of communication provided through the partitionmember between the reed and the interior of theV bellows. 4. A sound producing device comprising a housing, a partition dividing the interior of the housing into two compartments, a bellows arranged in one compartment, a reed arranged in the other compartment, means providing communication between the compartments whereby operation of the bellows will soundthe reed, and means also arranged in the second compartment for controlling the sounding of the reed.

5. A sounding device comprising a housing having side walls and opposite end walls, one of the end walls having a projection extending therefrom inwardly of the housing,

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a bellows cloth connected with said extension, a closure connecteduwith the opposite end of the bellows cloth constituting a movable head for the bellows, the mentioned rojec- ,tion constituting a stationary head or the bellows, a partition member arranged within the vhousing defining a com artment at one side of said partition mem er for containing the bellows and a second compartment at the opposite side of the partition member, a reed arranged in the second compartment, and means providing communicationthrough said parttionbetween the reed and the interior of the bellows whereby to sound the reed by movement of air incident to movement of the movable head of the bellows.

6, A sounding device comprising a cylindrical housing, a partition-arranged within said housing dividing its interior into two separate compartments each semi-circular inV cross section, a bellows arranged in one of said compartments and mechanism in the other compartment, the bellows consisting of one head arranged stationary at one end of said compartment a bellows cloth engaging said stationary head and a second head closing the opposite end of the bellows and constituting a gravity movable bellows head, Said heads being of semi-circular contour and the bellows cloth being of similar con tour in cross section thereby providing a relatively flat wall portion lying adjacent said partition, the movable bellows having a fit within the bellows compartment adapting it to have a free sliding movement along the walls of said compartment, the mentioned flat) wall of the bellows having an opening therethrough, the mechanism within thesecond compartment consisting of a reed, means providing a sound chamber within which the reed communicates, said chamber having a sound emitting opening therefrom,a closure for said sound emitting opening, and gravity actuating means for con trolling said closure, together with means providing communication through said partition and through the mentioned flat wall of the bellows between the reed and the interior of the bellows whereby to sound the reed by movement of air incident to movement of the movable head of the bellows.

- -Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

` FRED I. LAUTER. 

